Lubricating device



April 2, 1929- F. c. BLANCHARD 1,707,704

LUBRICATING DEVI CE original Filed April 14. 1921 Patented LApr. 2, 19,29.

UNITED* STATES 1,707,704 PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK C. BLANCHARD, F BOSTOiN, MASSACHUSETTS.

LUBBICATING DEVICE. l

Original application led April' 14, 1921, Serial No. 461,219. Divided and this application led December 14, 1925'. serial n. 75,172.

' This invention relates to the art of lubrication, more especially to methods of and means for opening the closures of receptacles and introducing lubricant thereinto, and 'l aims to avoid the inconvenience, loss of time,

and other disadvantages which'have hitherto characterized the use of devices of this class. lVhile the invention'is suscepticle of general application, it has more particular reference to the lubrication of the various minor bearings of a motor car, such as spring bolts and other part-s which are usuallyT provided with grease orl oil cups.

Myinvention will be best understood by reference to the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of 011e illustrative embodiment thereof, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section of a lubricating system exemplifying my invention; v

Fig. 2 is 'a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to a portion of Fig. l, showing 'a modication of the nozzle and its outlet valve.

Referring to the drawings, and to the embodiment of my invention which I have selected for exemplification, I have shown a receptacle which may be of any suitable charaeter, herein exemplfiedby a self-closing oil cup 4, provi'ded with an inlet 6 normally closed by a closure 8, which is normally held closed by a suitable spring 10. The closure opens in an outward direction against the y1elding resistance afforded by the spring, and the latter restores the closure to its normal position after it has been released.

The implement for opening the closure and introdueinflr the lubricant vwiil now be described, refierenee beine* had at first more particularly to Fi 1. reservoir 12 is pro-- vided for the lu ricant, preferably oil, which is conducted therefrom through a conduit. 14

to a nozzle 16 having an outlet 18 throughA which the oil is discharged into the oil cup. The nozzle and the oil cup are provided with suitable cooperating means to guide the Anozzle into place when the implement is handled from a remote point, an'd to open the oil cup by any appro riate mechanical action such as wedging. the present example, the closure and the body 'of the oil cup are provided with opposed abutments 20 and 22, between which the nozzle is received, the latter being suitably formed to open the closure by the mere forward movement of the nozzle toward the position which it should occupy for Vthe introduction of the oil. This is conveniently accomplished by providing the nozzle with a pair of wedge-like jaws 24 embracing the oil cup and having relatively inclined faces 26a-nd 28, which converge toward the extremities of the jaws. When, therefore, the jaws are introduced between the abutments presented by the receptacle and its closure, the latter is opened and pushed to one side, as shown in' Fig. 1, thereby bringing the outlet of the nozzle into registration with the inlet 6 of the oil cup. l

Preferably the outlet of the implement is valve-controlled, and in the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, I have provided an outlet valve 30 cooperating with the ValveI seat 32, against which the valve is normally held seated by a spring 34. In the form shown in Fig. 3, I have shown an outlet valve 30', cooperating with a valve seat 32', against which the valve is normally held sea-ted by a spring 34. This valve is opened by the pressure of the oil, and is closed by the spring when the pressure is removed. In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the spring 34 rests at one end against the valve seat, and at the other against an abutment 36 carried by a valve stem 38, the latter extending through an opening 40 presented by the valve seat, said opening being suiiently large in diameter to permit the escape of oil about the valve stem when the valve is opened. The oil when thus released passes into a chamber 42, whence it is delivered through a passage 44 to the' outlet 18.

Preferably, the outlet valve 30- i's opened by the application of the nozzle to the 011 cup, and to this en'd the valve stem 38 is herein prolonged as at 46.to present a plunger which extends to the exterior of the nozzle in the space between the jaws 24. The plun er is mounted to slide lengthwise of the We ge-like 'aws. Vhen, therefore, the latter are intro uced between the abutments of the oil cup and its closure, the latter is opened followed by'the opening of the valve. Thus the oplerations of opening the closure, presenting t e outlet of the nozzle in proper position-for the de- Preferably, the conduit 14 is rigid,-that is to say iniexible, so that by the use of one hand only the nozzle may be applied to the oil cup. This makes it possible to use the implement in places where a two-hand operation would be difficult or inconvenient. Moreover, the expulsion of the oil from the ,reservoir is a one-hand operation, this being conveniently accomplished by making the reservoir in the form of a cylinder in which there is mounted to reciprocate a piston 48 suitably attachedto the inner end of the conduit 14, which constitutes a piston rod.

vWhen the implement is used for automobiles,

l in has a cover in the form of a cylinder head 52 provided with an annular flange 54 having screw-threaded engagement with the rear end of the cylinder. When the cover 1s screwed into place, a compressible packing ring or washer 56 prevents escape of the oil in a rearward direction. It is intended that the piston shall be moved to the front end of the cylinder, and the space at the rear of the piston then filled with oil by the removal of the cover, which is then replaced. In order to reduce to a minimum the amount of air at the rear of the piston, I preferably provide one or more suitable vents 58, herein holes through the fiange 54 just forward of the washer 56. The cover is provided with suitable means for displacing the air, and to that end is herein cupped inwardly as at 60, to whatever extent is necessary to ensure the expulsion ofall of the air in applying the cover. As thecover is being screwed in'to place, air trapped in the cylinder makes its escape through the vent holes, and finally the latter are closed when the end of the cylinder brings up against the washer. The cylinder is then tightly sealed. The exclusion of the air is important because otherwise air and oil would come out together, and there would be a tendency to spray and spreadthe oil. The pressure of air would tend to cause some oil to be expelled after the pressure is relaxed, thus wasting oil and smearing things generally. When the'air is excluded, the oil is delivered in a solid stream, and no oil will pass out of the nozzle after the thrust on the cylinder ceases.

Having filled the implement with oil, the operation is as follows: The cylinder presents a handle which is grasped by one hand of the user, who then applies the nozzle to the oil cup by thrusting the tapered jaws of the nozzle between the abutments presented `ther movement of the nozzle is prevented,

and as a consequence the cylinder, continuing to move forward in the grasp of the user, moves relatively to the piston, thereby causing the expulsion of oil through the conduit and its nozzle into the oil cup. When the proper amount has been introduced, the user simply reverses the movement of the cylinder, which in the -form shown in Fig. 1 results in releasing the outlet valve `(and in the form V'shown in Figs. 2 and 3 relieves the oil of pressure and stops the How), allowing the valve to close under the influence of its spring, and finally releasing the closure of the oil cup and allowing the latter to close under the influence of its spring. The simplicity and convenience'of operation are too obvious to require further description. y

This application is a division of my pending application, Serial No. 461,219, filed April 14, 1921, now Patent No. 1,623,775, issued April 5, 1927.

Having thus described one embodiment of my invention, but without limiting myself thereto, what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is:

1. lubricating implement comprising, in combination, a cylinder, a piston working therein, a rod slidable relatively to said cylinder andpresenting a passage communicating with said cylinder at one side of said piston, means carried by said rod for embracing a portlon of a receptacle and positioning said rod with relation thereto, and means to cause the 'opening of the closure of a receptacle for the reception of lubricant from said passage.

2. A lubricating implement comprising, in combination, a cylinder, a piston working therein, a piston rod at one end of said cylinder presenting a passage communicating with said cylinder' at one side of said piston, and a removable cylinder head constituting a removable filling closure for the other end of said cylinder to permit the introduction of lubricant into said cylinder, said cylinder head presenting means to cause displacement of air from said cylinder when said cylinder head is being applied to said cylinder.

3. A lubricating implement comprising, in combination, a cylinder, a cylinder head provided with a vet and with means for displacing air from said cylinder through said vent, a closure for said vent, a piston working in said cylinder, and a piston rod presenting a passage communicating with said cylinder at one side of said piston.

4. A lubricating implement comprising, in combination, a cylinder provided with a lilling opening at its rear end; a rear cylinder head presenting a vent' and a closure for .said filling opening, said Cylinder presenting a closure for said vent, a piston working in said cylinder, and a piston rod presenting a passage communicating with said cylinder at the rear side of said piston.

5. A lubricating implement comprising, in combination, a cylinder, a piston slidable relatively to said cylinder, a rod slidable relatively to said cylinder and presenting a passage having its inlet communicating with said cylinder at one side of said piston, a springolosed valve controlling the outlet of said passage, and means carried by said r-od for definitely positioning said rod relatively to a receptacle for the introduction of lubricant from said passage into said receptacle.

6. A lubricating implement comprising, in combination, a cylinder presenting a handle, a piston Working therein, a rod presenting a passage having its inlet communicating with said cylinder at one side of said piston to utilize a forward thrust of said handle to expel lubricant through said passage, a spring-closed valve controlling said passage and opened by forward thrust of said handle, and means carried by said rod having a part adapted to receive and interengage laterally with a receptacle to posit-ion said passage relatively to said receptacle for the introduction of lubricant into the latter.

7. A lubricating implement comprising, in combination, a cylinder, a piston slidable relatively to said cylinder, a rod presenting a passage communicating with said cylinder at one side of said piston, and a valve adjacent the outlet of said passage, and means carried by said rod having an opening to receive a portion of a receptacle to position said rod relatively to said receptacle for the introduction of lubricant into the latter.

8. A lubricating implement comprising, in combination, a cylinder presenting a reservoir, a piston working therein, a piston rod extending from the front end of said cylinder and presenting a passage communicating with said cylinder at one side of said piston, and a cylinder head presenting a flange removably secured to the rear end of said cylinder and provided with a venting opening normally closed by said cylinder.

9. Lubricating apparatus comprising a reservoir presenting a handle, an outlet valve for said reservoir, and means operated by a forward thrust -of said handlerst to open a lubricant receptacle and said valve and then to cause the introduction of lubricant from said reservoir into said receptacle.

l0. Lubricating apparatus comprising a reservoir presenting a handle, an outlet valve for said reservoir, means presenting a conduit leading from and moving relatively to said reservoir and operated by a forward thrust of said handle rst to open the closure of a lubricant receptacle and said valve and then to cause an introduction of lubricant from said reservoir into said receptacle, and means carried by said conduit to embrace a portion of a receptacle to position said rod relatively to said receptacle for the introduction of lubricant into the latter.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

FREDERICK C. BLANCHARD. 

